Announcements
Harry Brod to Lecture
Monday, April 20, 2009
11:30 AM
"Beyond 'But We Were Both Drinking!': The Ethics and Erotics of Sexual Consent"
Board Room, College Center
4:00 PM
Women's & Gender Studies
Invites You to a Feminist Tea Hour Series Talk by Professor Harry Brod
"Studying Men & Masculinities: From the Personal to the Political to the Academic"
Reception to Follow
Evald Great Hall
7:00 PM
"The People of the Comic Book"
Monday, April 20, 2009
Olin Auditorium
It's a MAN! It's a JEW! It's a MENSCH!
Did you know Superman is Jewish? Come learn how Clark Kent and Superman embody the real and fantasy lives of their creators, two Jewish teenagers in Depression-era Cleveland. From Superman and Batman to Spider-Man and the Hulk, comic book superheroes have sprung from the imaginations of Jewish men. What themes of gendered power and powerlessness, of diasporic longings and immigrant uncertainties did these men inscribe into their superhuman creations? This talk explores these and other issues to generate new understanding of our heroes, of ourselves.
Harry Brod, professor of philosophy and humanities at Northern Iowa University, will give a lecture on the occasion of National Holocaust Remembrance Day. Dr. Brod specializes in gender studies, Jewish studies and social and political philosophy.
Sponsored by the Geifman Endowment for Judaica and the CVR.
Augustana to Welcome Baseball-Enthused Anthropologist
George Gmelch
Monday, April 20, 2009
7:30 PM - Science 102
America's pastime will take center stage at Augustana College with a lecture by baseball enthusiast and cultural anthropologist George Gmelch on Monday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Science Building room 102. Gmelch's lecture, entitled "The Changing World of Professional Baseball," will look at the ways in which American baseball has changed throughout the past 30 years, focusing especially on the life and culture of the professional game. The free public event is a celebration of the college's new anthropology major. "It has been our hope that these events will raise awareness of the new anthropology department major among students and show them some of the breadth and depth of what the discipline has to offer," said Carolyn Hough, professor of anthropology. Gmelch has combined his personal interest in baseball with his professional work as a professor of anthropologist at University of San Francisco, and Roger Thayer Stone professor of anthropology at Union College in New York, to create a subtext for his talk highlighting baseball as a microcosm of American society. Gmelch plans to describe and deconstruct the notion that changes in baseball's culture over time accurately reflect changes in the culture of a larger society. "Gmelch seemed like a great fit as we thought about bringing some guest speakers to ... Augustana to help launch the new program in anthropology and to talk with our students," said Adam Kaul, professor of anthropology. "In his career, he has created the kinds of programs and experiences for his students that we hope to create here at Augustana College. In addition to his public lecture, Gmelch will visit several classes as a guest speaker and interact with students and faculty members during his visit. He is the author of ten books, two of which are baseball-focused and entitled "Inside Pitch: Life in Professional Baseball," and "Baseball without Borders." Has studied nomads, return migrants, commercial fishermen, Alaskan natives, Caribbean villagers and tourism workers, and has done field work in many parts of the world. Currently he is doing research on wine tourism in California's Napa Valley.
Augustana Historical Society Meeting
April 21, 2009
7:00 PM in Wilson Center
The spring meeting of the Augustana Historical Society will be held on April 21, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Wilson Center. Dr. Stephen Warren will present "John Henry Hauberg, Meskwaki Powwows, and Community Survival in the Industrial Midwest." Light refreshments will be served.
Convocation
April 23, 2009
10:30 - 11:20 AM
John Granger: From Muggle Lead to Spiritual Gold:
The Literary Alchemy of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Novels"
Joanne Rowling, author of the Harry Potter novels, said that her study of alchemy set the "magical parameters" and "internal logic" of the books. Though English literature features a tradition of alchemical scaffolding and symbols in its poems, plays, and stories that stretches from Chaucer and Shakespeare to C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, few readers of the seven Hogwarts Adventures know more about literary alchemy than they do about how to create a Sorcerer's Stone. John Granger, the Hogwarts Professor, will explain what alchemy is, how it constitutes the story scaffolding of Ms. Rowling's novels, why it is important for understanding the meaning of her works and why they are the most popular books in publishing history. John Granger is considered a world authority on Mrs. Joanne Rowling's Harry Potter novels. His "Hidden Key to Harry Potter: Understanding the Meaning, Genius, and Popularity of the Harry Potter Books" (Zossima Press, 2003) and "Finding God in Harry Potter" (Tyndale, 2004) have been praised by scholars from Oxford to Baylor and read with delight by thousands of readers worldwide. His books have received strong reviews in journals as diverse as The Chesterton Review (UK), The Wall street Journal, Orthodox Tradition, CSL; The Journal of the New York C. S. Lewis Society, and The National Review. Without being contentious or disrespectful, Mr. Granger puts the Harry Potter novels in proper Christian biblical perspective, while revealing that the reason they are so popular is just because they are implicitly Christian in style and substance. His education includes honors degrees in Classical Languages from Phillips Exeter and the University of Chicago. He was in the Marine Corps as a triathlete, rifle expert, and marathon runner (fast enough that the Marines nominated him for Armed Forces Athlete of the Year).
Tecumseh's Vision
Episode 2 in a series entitled We Shall Remain: A Native History of America
Documentary Showing and Discussion with Film-maker Ric Burns
Thursday, April 23, 2009
7:30 PM ~ Olin Auditorium ~ Reception to Follow
The Institute for Leadership and Service and the Dean's Office have joined forces to make Ric Burns' visit to Augustana possible. As some of you may know, Steve Warren was lucky enough to work with Ric on his new documentary, Tecumseh's Vision, which premieres on April 20, 2009. This film is epidode 2 in a film series presented by WGBH and the American Experience entitled We Shall Remain: A Native History of America. The first film in the series, After the Mayflower, will premiere on April 13, 2009. For more on the series, please follow this link to a recent review by the Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2009/03/29/neither_nobles_nor_savages/
Augustana will be hosting a post-premiere screening of the film, followed by a reception with Ric, on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:30 p.m. in Olin Auditorium. Following the screening, there should be plenty of time for Ric to take questions and to discuss the film with members of the audience. For more information on Ric's career as a documentary filmmaker, please check out the following link: http://www.ricburns.com/flash.html
Please share this message with folks who might be interested in watching the film and listening to Ric describe his work as a filmmaker. Please contact Steve Warren if you have any questions about his visit. Also see http://www.augustana.edu/x12335.xml
Week Seven Seminar: "Darwin's Impact on Modern Thought"
Friday, April 24, 2009
4:00 PM - Tredway Library
3:00 Refreshments
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, Kevin Geedey will lead an informal discussion for faculty on an article by evolutionary biologist Ernst Mayr: "Darwin's Impact on Modern Thought," a lecture he delivered when he was 89 years old. One of the major architects of the "Neo-Darwinian Synthesis" in the 1930s and '40s, that formed a powerful explanatory theory based on natural selection, Mayr in mid-career began to write about the history of evolutionary ideas, and in this talk he documented the important societal changes he believed were caused by Darwin's theory. Article is on Moodle under "library/week seven seminar."
Geifman Lecture in Holocaust Studies
Monday, April 27, 2009
Centennial Hall - 7:00 PM
Ralph Troll, Augustana professor emeritus of biology and a survivor of Nazi persecution during the Holocaust, will speak on his childhood as a "half-Jew" in Hitler's Germany. In 1938, when he was 6 years old, Ralph's family moved from Darmstadt, Germany, to a small, isolated farm, hoping to escape Nazi persecution. Since his mother was Jewish, Ralph was not allowed to continue his schooling. When war broke out, the family often spent nights in the cellar of the farmhouse or days in nearby foxholes to escape Allied bombing raids. In February 1945, the Gestapo appeared in the middle of the night and took his mother away. Months later, after the war ended, his mother was liberated from Theresienstadt and rejoined her family. The family emigrated to the U.S. in 1947. Sponsored by the Geifman Endowment for Judaica.
Campus-Wide Clean-Up
Sunday, April 26, 2009
12:00 - 4:00 PM
Global Affect is organizing Earth Week (week 7) and here is how you can get involved! Global Affect and SGA will be hosting a campus wide clean-up on Sunday, April 26th from 12-4 PM. One of the major ways we can help understand our effects on the environment is through observing these effects in our own community. The Campus Clean-Up hopes to successfully remove trash from our campus and some of the surrounding area (Lincoln Park, 7th Avenue, etc.). This event is open to the entire campus. There will be prizes for the most unique piece of trash found, as well as for who collected the most trash.
In order for this to work, many volunteers are needed. If you are interested in getting involved, please email the SGA account at sag@augustana.edu no later than Tuesday, April 21st.
Rituals and Practices
Exploring ways to express and connect to the Holy in everyday life
A workshop for Students, Faculty, Administration and Staff
Monday, April 27, 2009
5:30-7:00 pm
Carlsson Evald
Dinner provided
Presented by
Dr. Pat Shea, Professor of Education, Spiritual Director
Christie Anderson, CVR Program Associate
RSVP by Thursday, April 23 to
Christie Anderson
Geifman Lecture in Holocaust Studies:
Ralph Troll
Augustana Professor Emeritus of Biology
& Survivor of Nazi Persecution
Monday, April 27, 2009
Centennial Hall
7:00 PM
Ralph Troll, Augustana professor emeritus of biology and a survivor of Nazi persecution during the Holocaust, will speak on his childhood as a "half-Jew" in Hitler's Germany. In 1938, when he was 6 years old, Ralph's family moved from Darmstadt, Germany, to a small, isolated farm, hoping to escape Nazi persecution. Since his mother was Jewish, Ralph was not allowed to continue his schooling. When war broke out, the faily often spent nights in the cellar of the farmhouse or days in nearby foxholes to escape Allied bombing raids. In February 1945, the Gestapo appeared in the middle of the night and took his mother away. Months later, after the war ended, his mother was liberated from Theresienstadt and rejoined her family. The family emigrated to the U.S. in 1947.
Upcoming Division Meetings
Thursday, April 30, 2009
10:30 - 11:30 AM
Fine and Performing Arts
Bergendoff Room 12
Language and Literature
Old Main 124
Natural Science
Science Building 102
History, Philosophy and Religion
Old Main 332
Business and Education
Evald Hall 212
Social Sciences
Old Main 122
John Deere Planetarium Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Saturday, May 2, 2009
8:30 - 10:00 PM
Augustana College will mark the 40th anniverary of the opening of the John Deere Planetarium with an open house on Saturday, May 2, 2009. The John Deere Planetarium (820 38th Street), Carl Gamble Observatory and Fryxell Geology Museum will be open from 8:30 to 10 p.m., for both indoor and outdoor programs. If cloudy weather develops, the indoor planetarium programs will still be offered. All events are free and open to the public.
Augustana's opening of the planetarium on May 2, 1969 has led to many visitors of all ages, as well as appearances by prominent scientists, including astronauts Neil Armstrong and Harrison Schmitt. The celebration planetarium which inaugurated its mission to bring astronomy to the public
Dr. C.W. Sorensen, college president at the time of the dedication, said, "For many long years to come, the John Deere Planetarium will serve as a continuous reminder of the desire of man to push back the horizon of the universe, to see, to know, to understand." Dr. Sorensen could not have foreseen the impact the planetarium continues to have today, pursuing its mission to bring the magic of the night sky to Augustana's campus, surrounding communities, and the central Midwest.
This year's open house will feature telescope views in the Carl Gamble Observatory of Saturn's ring system and the craters and mountains of the moon. Also on display will be a quarter-ton piece of the Canyon Diablo meteorite and a planetarium show on night sky wonders. An exhibit on Galileo, featuring a replica of his telescope and fascimilies of his sketches and writings, will also be displayed during the open house.
The Fryxell Geology Museum features one of the premier collections of minerals and fossils in the Midwest, as well as a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, a wall of glowing, fluorescent rocks, and the complete 22-foot long skeleton of Cryolophosaurus, a large crested carnivorous dinosaur discovered in Antarctica.
For more information, contact planetarium director Dr. Lee Carkner at 309-797-7327 or visit us online at www.augustana.edu/planetarium.
Upcoming CUR Institutes
Initiating and Sustaining Undergraduate Research Programs
May 27-29, 2009
Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, OH
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis
Beginning a Research Program in the
Natural Sciences at a Predominantly Institution
June 5-7, 2009
The College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis
Proposal Writing Institute
July 19-23, 2009
Willamette University, Salem, OR
Application Deadline: May 15, 2009
For information on applying for these Institutes, registration fees, travel and lodging, please visit www.cur.org and complete the on-line application. Questions may be addressed to the CUR National Office (_cur@cur.org or 202-783-4810).
The ELCA Wittenberg Center works with one of its Church partners, the EKD, the Evangelical Church of Germany, to award two scholarships for three months of study in Germany. We are currently looking for ELCA students/pastors/church workers who would be interested in applying for study in 2010. The deadline to submit applications in September 15, 2009. Please read the Announcement here. Please forward any questions to the Center at elcawittenbergcenter@t-online.de. Application and Stipend guidelines.